Agencies-Gaza post
Gazan young man produces diesel, gasoline from plastic waste
In the midst of a rising fuel price plaguing the Gaza Strip, 33-year-old Anas al-Kafarneh, originally from the city of Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza, managed, together with his brothers, to produce diesel and petrol burning plastic waste using primitive equipment and devices.
Plastic waste is a strategic material in Gaza, as it is used in many important industries.
Young people and children are seen searching among the piles of waste at waste collection stations in the besieged enclave for pieces of plastic to sell to presses that would clean them, shred them and then sell them to factories for use in different sectors.
The Gaza Strip produces more than 700 tons solid waste per day. While municipal staff usually transfer this waste to waste collection stations scattered along the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, much of this plastic waste is collected by low-income workers for recycling by specialized companies and factories.
The Israeli blockade that has been imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 15 years has forced citizens to seek ways and alternatives to goods whose flow into Gaza has been banned by the Israelis. Chief among them is fuel, the quantities and prices of which were controlled by Israel.
Kafarneh’s project has so far proved successful, as many Gazans are now turning to him to secure cheap diesel and gasoline.
At the makeshift factory in Kafarneh, fuel is made by separating and inserting plastic particles into a large thermal container whose temperature reaches 350 degrees Celsius (662 degrees Fahrenheit).
Within about 10 hours, the plastic particles turn into grease. The decomposition of fats creates a vapor which is converted into liquefied fuel, suitable for the operation of all types of fuel-powered machines.
Kafarneh said he was inspired by European experiments to make fuel from plastic. He told Al-Monitor that he and his brothers began to implement the idea using the least expensive plastic waste and their experiment proved successful after testing the design for several months.
He said they conducted experiments on diesel and gasoline cars and that none of the engines used in the experiments were damaged.
He added that his project produces around 800 liters (211 gallons) of diesel and gasoline per day, or more depending on the amount of plastic available. Many factory owners get their hands on used plastic parts as they are less expensive than imported ones and this decreases the daily quantities collected.
Kafarneh said what makes his project special is its reliance on all types of plastic waste collected randomly from landfills, as opposed to other plastic items such as household items which require the use of raw plastics of high quality that are imported and that do not contain as many hazardous chemicals as those collected from waste.
He noted that there is a huge demand for the fuel it produces from owners of motorcycles and fishing boats of all sizes, due to the good quality and low cost of its fuel, which amounts to $ 1 per liter, compared to $ 2. , 50 per liter for fuel purchased at service stations.
Fisherman Salim Jaradeh told Al-Monitor that he has been relying on locally produced diesel for more than a month and his boat has so far suffered no damage.
He noted that a large number of fishermen, especially large boat owners, are opting for this diesel to cut costs. Owners of large boats, he added, need about 300 liters (79 gallons) of diesel per day.
“I used to go fishing by boat on some specific days just to save on diesel, due to its high price and I would not be able to make any profit due to the lack of fish in the Gaza sea and the restricted fishing zone imposed by the Israel.
But given the availability of locally produced and low-cost diesel, I am now fishing almost daily, ”he added.
Jaradeh concluded that Gazans are struggling with high fuel prices, which are leading to higher transportation costs, higher commodity prices and higher fish prices due to rising fuel costs. by fishermen. Therefore, she added, locally produced fuel benefits all types of citizens.
